So let’s get this one straight: a bunch of food and mommy bloggers were invited to an Italian restaurant, Sotto Terra, in New York City to eat a meal prepared by celebrity chef George Duran, and receive some insight into food trends from Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst.

After finishing their meals, the bloggers were told that – surprise, surprise – the food wasn’t prepared by Duran but, instead, it was frozen entrees made by ConAgra Foods’ Marie Callender’s brand. And, oh yeah, the meal was captured by hidden video-cameras. (The New York Times has all the juicy details.)

Needless to say, the bloggers went ballistic that they had made been pranked. And unlike the people who had been caught in earlier ad campaigns eating Domino’s Pizza instead of restaurant-made pizza, the fooled and embarassed food and mommy bloggers beefed their complaints on their blogs for the whole world to see and read.

So it begs the question: what was ConAgra and its PR advisors thinking? Did they think the food and mommy bloggers would laugh heartily at being made looked like fools and lavish praise on ConAgra for being so creative and funny?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it doesn’t work that way. Instead, it demonstrates that bloggers are still not getting the respect they deserve. I mean, would ConAgra pull the same stunt on a group of reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post and Gourmet Magazine? The answer is a resounding “No”.

It is difficult to believe that even though bloggers have become respected reporters and editorialists, they still get treated like children at a party, who should just be happy to have been invited.

We’re living in a world in which newsrooms are shrinking while bloggers are filling the content void, along with people “reporting” on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Either ConAgra got some very bad advice, they don’t understand bloggers, or they just screwed up.

In any event, here’s some advice for companies looking to engage with bloggers:

1. Treat bloggers the same way you would treat a reporter. Some bloggers have large audiences and some have a small readership but most bloggers are serious and passionate about what they write about. In that way, they are just as credible as a reporter.

2. Do your homework. Not every blogger is the same. Some are serious, some are crazy, some write a lot, some offer thought-provoking columns, some rant, some want to make money, and some do it for fun. The key consideration for companies getting a good handle on the blogging ecosystem, and then identifying the bloggers that matter most to them. After that, they should embrace rule #1.

3. Provide bloggers with the same kind of resources and access as reporters. In other words, bring them inside the tent rather than on the outside looking in. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be all of them. Just like not every reporter will get an interview with the CEO or an invite to a press conference, bloggers should be treated the same way. While many bloggers aren’t looking to make money from blogging, their “compensation” can simply be a recognition of their efforts.

4. Don’t be afraid of bloggers. It is surprising to hear corporate executives still talk about how blogging is the Wild West and how bloggers are unruly gunslingers that can’t be managed or trusted. If you do your homework and treat bloggers with respect, they’ll probably respect you right back.

5. Recognize that bloggers can help your company just as much as you can help them. They can help you spread the word, provide feedback, evangelize and solid editorial coverage. If bloggers are treated as a potential asset, it increases the chance of them providing a good return on investment.

6. Remember most bloggers don’t make money from blogging. The compensation consists of other things: respect, vanity, access, recognition, invitations, etc.

What are some other “rules” that companies need to have front and centre when dealing with bloggers?